Dotted with supernaturally lovely karst topography gracing the Li River - these bizarre limestone upthrusts shape-shifting in dancing mists and haze - the city's beauty has been celebrated for generations by painters and poets." Quoted from Lonely Planet
Day01: Arrival Gilin
Transfer to the reserved hotel and a walk to see the city, which is located in the northeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has long been famous for its limestone karst hills. Formed more than 200 million years ago when the oceans receded from this area, the towers sprout from a patchwork of paddy fields and flowing streams, creating a dreamy, seductive landscape that leaves few souls unstirred. Time and space meet here to produce a masterpiece of nature's handiwork.
Day02:Yangshuo
Boat to Yangshuo and stroll in the West Street. Overnight at the reserved hotel.
Though there are a few hills in the city that can be explored, and the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo remains one of top river journeys in the world, Guilin is also being used as a base to visit the Yao, Miao, and Dong minority villages to the northwest.
West Street is the oldest street in Yangshuo with a history of more than 1,400 years. Situated at the center of Yangshuo County, West Street has become, since the 1980's, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest 'foreign language center' in China. West Street is the most prosperous district in Yangshuo, and, each year, approximately 100,000 foreigners come here on their travels or to attend advanced studies. Visitors are attracted to West Street by its unique mix of cultures.
Yangshuo, with a history of 1400 year, is 65 km southeast of Guilin city. West Street (Xi Jie) is situated in Yangshuo, the most beautiful town along Li River.
Since opened up to outside in 1978, the unique "Foreigners Street" - West Street has received countless foreigners from all over the workd and it was reputed as "Earth Village in China". Today, the 2000-m-long street is over 300 cafes, restaurants, hotels art crafts and tourist stores, foreign language clubs, internet centers and Kufu schools. It's an ideal place to eat, live travel, do shopping enterain and study. Also it has a good environment for communication and is regarded as a paradise for tourists.West Street is 517 meters (1,696 feet) long and 8 meters (26 feet) wide, meandering in an 'S' along its length. Being completely paved with marble it is a typical example of a southern China street. It is greatly admired by foreigners for its simple style and courtyard-like setting. There is a saying about West Street that 'half is village while the other half is stores'.
Day03:Gilin
Sightseeing of (1)Elephant Trunk Hill, also known as Elephant Hill is located at the confluence of Li River and Peach Blossom River in the southwest of Guilin city. It looks like a huge elephant stretching its trunk drinking water hence the name. Elephant Trunk Hill has been the symbol of the karst landscape in the area.
(2)The Reed Flute Cave is absolutely a must-see attraction. It is situated in the highway of the Guangming Hill, in the northwestern suburbs of the city. The cave got its name from a kind of flutes growing outside which can be made into melodious flutes. The cave is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites, rocks in all strange shapes.
The cave is about 240 meters long and a trip last about one hour. Along the u-shaped route, visitors can see those oddly shaped rocks, stone pillars and your guide will give you interesting story about them. Illuminated by the colored lights, the cave looks like a dazzling palace that’s why the cave is otherwise known as the “ Art Palace of the Nature”.
Inside the cave there are more than 70 inscription written in ink, which can dating back to 792 AD during the Tang Dynasty, over one thousand years ago. These aged marks tell that it have been an attraction in ancient time.
